Jason Swinscoe – he of Cinematic Orchestra fame – is the man responsible for the Motion Audio imprint overseen by Ninja Tune, and one of his first acts is Grey Reverend. The two artists have previous, for Swinscoe met Grey Reverend in New York and was so impressed he signed him up to tour, support, and eventually record an album. The music itself is nothing especially new – a singer songwriter emoting with a guitar and a few softly brushed electronics – but what makes this an album worth returning to is Grey Reverend’s voice. He sings with unaffected and often poignant emotion, with each song on ‘One By One’ reflecting everyday life, on the level of the listener rather than preaching to them. For an artist to have the confidence to release an album so short on production the raw material needs to be good – and the songs here are taut, observational and with attractive melodies. Ideal for late summer nights, then.
4 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
